John Lloyd – World of Psychologyhttp://psychcentral.com/blog
Dr. John Grohol's daily update on all things in psychology and mental health. Since 1999.Fri, 09 Dec 2016 21:30:04 +0000en-UShourly1111817284How the Brain Creates a Dependence On Opioidshttp://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/24/how-the-brain-creates-a-dependence-on-opioids/
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/24/how-the-brain-creates-a-dependence-on-opioids/#respondSun, 24 Aug 2014 23:30:56 +0000http://psychcentral.com/blog/?p=62253Opioids have been around for a very long time, and are used as painkillers to help patients cope with pain post-surgery. They have both helped and harmed people, alleviating chronic pain for people who have undergone invasive surgeries, but also being the source of dangerous addictions for those who have developed dependencies on the painkillers.

Derived from the poppy plant, it’s known for being able to induce sleep. And the use of opioids for medical reasons is widespread, which has contributed to the growth of opioid related addictions. The reason lies in the powerful effect opioids have on the brain.

Prescription Of Opioids

One of the biggest misconceptions about opioids that may lead to a dependency, is that since they are prescribed by doctors, they can’t be that harmful. Unfortunately, this isn’t true, and there has been a notable rise in overdose-related deaths due to abuse of opioids.

Popular actor Heath Ledger died from an overdose of mixed drugs, including painkillers. Popular opioids include Vicodin and OxyContin and they are reportedly overprescribed by doctors, probably due to patients wanting prescriptions for painkillers even if they don’t need them.

Why Dependence On Opioids Is Common

Besides opioids being used legally for medical reasons, heroin is also a common illegal street drug derived from opioid poppies. People can easily get addicted to either the legal or illegal versions of opioids.

The reason they are so addictive to people is that they create an immense pleasurable sensation, and even light usage can result in changing a person’s body and brain so that they start intensely craving the drug. Both the brain and physical body will experience intense longings for the drug, and the pleasurable feelings that the drugs give them. Signs of opioid addiction include:

Withdrawal when not using

Stealing or lying to get more drugs

Intense cravings

Using opioids long-term

Obsessively thinking about the next fix

Since the feelings are short-lived, users will go to greater lengths to receive the drugs and also need more and more of the drugs to achieve the same feelings as the body becomes used to the drug. When a person is going through physical and emotional pain and is looking for a way out, opioids provide the fix and escape that one is looking to find.

Usage of opioids changes the brain, altering the way the brain produces dopamine and in the way it processes pain. Studies have shown that even light usage of opioids can change the brain. The good news is that if someone is able to quit long-term, the brain can return to its normal state.

How To Combat Opioid Addiction

The medical community is trying to set up a database in response to the growing deaths and overdoses on prescriptions painkillers. States are working on setting up drug databases so that doctors can check how many prescription drugs a patient has received in the past from other doctors.

When it has been implemented the database has proven effective with a lower amount of patients being able to dupe doctors into prescribing drugs to them that another doctor had already given them.

Opioid addiction is a complex issue, because traditionally people who get addicted to drugs are often thought to be living on the fringes of society. But while hardcore heroin users may be living on the fringes, there are also many people addicted to opioids through prescriptions, and that brings up more questions of accountability, due to the very addictive effects opioids have on the mind and body.

Implementation of a countrywide database will help reduce over-prescribing painkillers in the medical community, and more programs to help people who suffer from opioid dependency should be available.

]]>http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/24/how-the-brain-creates-a-dependence-on-opioids/feed/062253What Goes on Inside an Intervention?http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/03/what-goes-on-inside-an-intervention/
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/03/what-goes-on-inside-an-intervention/#respondSun, 03 Aug 2014 22:35:46 +0000http://psychcentral.com/blog/?p=61420Interventions have become a household word for the general public, thanks to television shows such as “Celebrity Rehab” and “Intervention.” Although an intervention is not necessary in every situation, some situations benefit greatly from one. Every situation is different, but most interventions do follow a similar structure.

An intervention is a planned event where friends and family members face an addict about his or her problems. An intervention is carefully planned and provides a forum for family members and loved ones to confront the problem and express their concerns, in the hope that a person will enter treatment.

Although it is most commonly used for those suffering from drug or alcohol addiction, an intervention can also be used for other behavior problems.

Anyone can plan an intervention, but there are professional interventionists who assist family members and loved ones in the process. One of the important elements of planning an intervention is deciding who should attend. An intervention does not need to be large. An ideal number is between five and eight people.

Close friends, family members, co-workers, clergymen, and other people involved in an addict’s life can be part of an intervention. However, the important element of an intervention is that it remains as calm as possible.

Therefore, anyone who struggles with anger problems, or who also struggles with an addiction problem, should not be invited. It is important to plan what everyone says carefully, as well as plan the event’s exact schedule.

An intervention is about confronting a person about his or her problems while showing support, not criticizing the person. It is important not to make it seem like a betrayal. Therefore, it should focus on specific examples of actions that caused problems for the addicted person or loved one.

An intervention should also have a prearranged treatment plan in place that the person will enter immediately after the intervention ends. Each person also will share specific consequences that will happen if the person refuses to enter treatment.

There are several types of interventions that can be undertaken, but the most common type is a surprise intervention. The friends and family carefully prepare what to say ahead of time and bring the person to the event on a particular date and time.

Each person involved in the intervention reads a specific statement created ahead of time that spells out his or her concerns about a person’s behavior, citing specific examples of problematic behavior or consequences. Each person will also detail a specific consequence if the person does not enter treatment, such as the person not being able to live at home or see his or her children.

At the end of everyone’s statements, the person will be given a treatment plan. He or she can choose either to enter treatment right away or not. However, if he or she does not, then the people in the intervention will follow through with the consequences. There are also interventions that involve family counseling that help to stop the enabling process.

Interventions can get emotional, which is why it is very important to plan and practice ahead of time and only say what is written. Having a professional interventionist mediate the experience can also keep emotions in check.

Interventions are not always successful at getting a person into treatment. However, they stop the enabling system and provide help and support for the victims of the addiction, namely partners, spouses, and children.

]]>http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/03/what-goes-on-inside-an-intervention/feed/0614205 Ways Rehab Will Change Your Lifehttp://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/11/05/5-ways-rehab-will-change-your-life/
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2013/11/05/5-ways-rehab-will-change-your-life/#respondWed, 06 Nov 2013 01:37:43 +0000http://psychcentral.com/blog/?p=51575Making the transition from addiction to sobriety is a major change. It is sure to transform your life in several positive ways.

In order to make this transformation, many people will choose to enter into a treatment program of some kind. In such programs, you will have the support of addiction counselors, doctors, and maybe even other addicts. They will help you find the way to a happier and healthier life.

Here are a few ways you can expect your life to change in treatment.

Drugs will no longer be your primary focus.

After you finish detoxification, your body will be free of the drugs that were clouding your mind and keeping you fixated on using. While urges to abuse drugs and drug-related thoughts will still be present, you will begin to have some clarity and some distance from the problem.

As your thoughts become more clear, you will be able to analyze them more effectively. Counselors will work with you to help identify the deep-seated causes of your addiction. This means that your thoughts will be centered more on who you are as a person and where you have come from.

You will socialize without being under the influence.

While you were addicted to drugs and alcohol, you likely spent almost every social interaction intoxicated. Maintaining a lasting sobriety means becoming accustomed to socializing while sober. In treatment, you will be around other people who are also recovering. While you will attend group therapy sessions with them, you will also begin to interact with them socially. This will give you a chance to meet people as your “true self,” rather than the version of yourself that is altered by drugs or alcohol.

You will be happier.

Addiction is a very frustrating, painful, and emotionally trying disease. The guilt and shame that comes along with drug or alcohol abuse often leads to depression. In addition, many drugs cause depression in and of themselves, particularly during the withdrawal period. It is easy to feel hopeless while you are struggling with addiction. You may have even forgotten what it is like to be truly happy.

You will have higher self-esteem.

Once you have begun to break the chains of addiction, you will notice that your mood begins to stabilize. The depression and anxiety caused by drugs and addiction will diminish. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and a boost in your self-esteem that will greatly increase your overall level of happiness.

You will become much more in tune with your actual needs.

In treatment, you will likely engage in activities such as prayer or meditation. These activities, along with counseling sessions, will help you become much more acutely aware of thoughts and feelings as they pop up. Rather than numbing your emotions with drugs and alcohol, you will begin to experience them. That is the only way you can truly find effective ways of addressing them. You will spend much more time engaging in reflection and positive thoughts.